Before I share those verses, let me say that when I do my Bible reading, I feel like it is a conversation I can have with God, I change the you, he, I, me etc. to more personal and conversational words. That makes me feel I am in a conversation rather than reading a story about someone. For me, this personalizes what I am reading in a big way and I feel God and I are talking to each other. I feel the verses come alive more as direction and instruction meant for me personally. I am going to write out the verses in John as I always read them and pray them. Praying these verses or using them as a conversation with Christ (and others) is part of my daily prayer time. I am using the NLT as the base for what is that conversation. What is below is not Scripture but based on Scripture.
(I am talking with Jesus, read this to yourself as if you were having that conversation with Him) Jesus, You have loved me (Rich) even as the Father has loved you. When I obey your commandments, I remain in your love, just as you obey your Father's commandments and remain in His love. You have told me these things so that I will be filled with Your joy. Yes, my joy will overflow! This is your commandment: I should love others in the same way You have loved me. There is no greater love than for me to lay down my life for my friends. I am Your friend if I do what You command. You no longer call me a slave, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now I am Your friend, since You have told me everything the Father told You. I didn't choose You. You chose me. You appointed me to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give me whatever I ask for, using Your name. This is Your command: Love each other.
Based on I John 4:49; I love because You first loved me. (or as in the Scriptures), "We love because You first loved us".
In the verses of John 15, Jesus is telling us He loves us in the same way the Father loves Him. The Father loves Jesus as a father loves his son. This Father is God and loves with a love that only God can comprehend. I guess the best I can say is that His love is so large, so undeniable, and it reaches so far that it is beyond what I can imagine. His love is perfect, pure and limitless. The Father loves Jesus with a love that Jesus emulates. Elsewhere in Scripture we are told that no mountain, valley, demon, or any obstacle we can think of will ever separate us from His love.
We are instructed to be obedient to His commands just as Jesus was to be obedient to the Father's commands. Being obedient to those commands comes from a love for who we are obeying. When anyone loves and respects another, they are obedient because that obedience stems from love. Can we say that when we allow our love for another to shrink, the door to disobedience swings open? When we live in obedience do we not do so because we are in a loving relationship? When we choose to turn to disobedience do we not also turn away from that loving relationship?
Jesus offers many blessings available for those who live a life of following the teachings, principles and commands regarding how to live. We are saved even though we stumble and fall. We are promised eternity even though we make mistakes. But Jesus is also offering us a life of joy that comes from the obedience that pleases God. Jesus is describing this relationship so that we can live a life filled with the joy He offers. Oh, by the way, the joy He is talking about will fill you to overflowing! Don't we have the ability to understand this? If we think back, can we remember times in our lives when we pleased our parents, teachers or bosses making us feel so very good about ourselves and what we have done? Now let's think of times when we were disobedient or had done things that disappointed those we loved. How did we feel? Certainly not filled with joy. Perhaps filled with (I know from experience) regret, remorse and embarrassment. Jesus doesn't want us to live a joyless, regret filled life. He wants us to live a life filled with joy. That life can be grasped by paying attention to His commands and teachings. Such a life of obedience is one that doesn't have to carry the guilt of disobedience with it.
Let me make sort of a summary here; Jesus loves us as the Father loves Him. Jesus wants us to have a life filled with joy and we can do that by living by His commands and teachings. There are times when we have to put away what we want, put away some desires that will not impact our relationship in a good way and just do the right thing. Sometimes we have to say no to ourselves, sometimes the fight we have within is over doing what is right and doing what our flesh taunts us to do. Don't we know that every time we choose correctly we are proud of ourselves. Don't we also know that every time we choose wrong and go against that little voice inside trying to stop us, we feel bad, ashamed and regret that choice. Even if we feel none of those things, I believe we have to admit there is certainly an absence of joy. The joy He promised will overflow in our lives. So, now that we understand that.......
He commands "Love each other in the same way... the same way He loves you." Love with a love that has no limits, that is forgiving, patient and sacrificial.
Jesus states that He calls us friends. He does that because He has told us what His mission is and our purpose is all about. We know why He came and what He did and what we are to do. We know His business. If He had not taught us those things, then we would be slaves. He also wants to make it clear that He came looking for you and me. If He hadn't, I wonder if we would have ever found our way to Him. What do you think? Do you think if He had not reached out to you through your parents, a song, a sermon, a sunset, a friend, or a really bad time or event, that you would have ignored your earthly flesh and turned from the call of the wild to a relationship with Him? I would feel comfortable betting I would not have.
He not only chose you and me but He gave us something to do. He calls us to go out and let our lives produce things that are good. The product and legacy of our lives should be good things. We should live in a way that if someone would follow our lives, the footprints left by us would be all good. While you are living such a life, you may find you need help along the way and you can go to the Father and tell Him you are doing your best to do what Jesus has appointed you to do but need help. Guess what? The Father will help you!
Jesus finishes with one more statement. He seemed to feel it was important enough to repeat, "This is my command: Love each other." This is how it feels when I read it, LOVE EACH OTHER, PERIOD! No ifs, ands, buts, or oh gee. No whining, arguing, excuses or I don't wannas. Maybe Nike got this from God ... Just do it!
Let me add one more point using the scripture that Grounds for Love is founded on.
We can do these things, we can be obedient, we can love those around us, even those that are the hardest to love. We can live a life of great joy, contentment and satisfaction. We can love in good times and hard times. BECAUSE ... "We love because He first loved us".
If He had not loved us first, we would not know what real and pure love is. We would have no love gauge to evaluate what our love looks like. In my opinion, we only have the capacity and ability to love because He loved us first and showed us the way. He showed us how to love by giving of Himself, by loving without barriers, by giving love away even if He didn't get it back and by loving because that is who He is.
Love somebody. Love everybody ....because HE first loved us and because now, that is just who you are.